Make Help Accessible for the Unemployed & Disabled by Reforming the EDD
Make Help Accessible for the Unemployed & Disabled by Reforming the EDD
In September of 2020, I received a rare cancer diagnosis. The rigorous treatment forced me to quit my full time job and go on disability. Recently, a problem arose with my account. I tried tirelessly to contact the Employment Development Department. And, to my surprise, I could not reach a single person to solve the problem. Upon exploring advice on how to reach a live representative, I realized no one else could either. Article after article conveyed how impossible it is to talk to a live person. One piece said a military couple tried to call over 600 times, another one over 700.
In fact, one article, written by ABC, suggested contacting your local Assemblymember & Senator to reach a live person at the EDD office. I could not believe it. But I tried it and it worked. I immediately received assistance from the Senator’s office staff in resolving the issue. However, this information is not visible on the EDD website. The website is a dead end. While users have an inbox to receive automated information, there is no way to contact them in any way other than the overwhelmed call center.
Furthermore, nowhere on the EDD website is the information that you can contact your local representatives for help.
It took me months to stumble upon the ABC article with this specific advice. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be for someone without the privilege of being familiar with a computer that I have to solve problems with the EDD office if it is this hard for me to do so.
This has to change. Having a disability is hard enough.
The added stress of being on hold, being hung up on, calling over & over, and struggling to talk to someone to ensure you have enough money to pay rent & buy food is unacceptable.
The EDD website must make it known you can contact your local representatives for help. We need to fix this for the people who are unable to voice these concerns and desperately need the EDD to improve their system of communication.
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If you want to share your story with the EDD office, email me at ashleyjoneswrites@gmail.com.